Chapter 2

Ethan Sullivan's slender fingers paused on the car door handle.

The leather seats were splattered with mud. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before he turned and slid into the passenger seat. His peripheral vision caught the figure curled up in the far corner of the backseat, and his lips pressed into a thin line.

His father's words from this morning echoed in his mind: "The seventh daughter of the Laurent family, missing for seventeen years, has been found in White Stone Village. You're to retrieve her personally."

Yet after scouring the village all day, he hadn't found a trace of her. Then the storm hit during his return, trapping his car in the mud—only to stumble upon this strange girl.

"Body disposal?" A cold glint flashed in Ethan's eyes. Perfect. He'd take her back to the city and let the police handle this.

He glanced sideways. The girl was hunched into a ball, her helmet pulled low. Just as he looked away, her eyes snapped open—sharp as blades. "What are you staring at?"

In the darkness, her gaze burned like a feral cat's.

Without reacting, Ethan shrugged off his mud-caked suit jacket. "You'll catch a cold in wet clothes."

A scoff was her only reply. She yanked her helmet lower, vanishing into the shadows.

His fingers tapped twice on his knee. Something unreadable churned in his eyes.

——

Celestial Waters Estates.

The mud-streaked luxury car rolled to a stop. The driver turned with a shaky voice. "W-we're here."

Evelyn Laurent rubbed her eyes, grabbed her shovel, and pushed the door open. She paused mid-step and tossed over her shoulder without looking back: "Thanks."

Morning light stung her eyes. Squinting, she surveyed the familiar-yet-alien mansions, her grip tightening on the shovel. Ten years. She was finally back.

"Mr. Sullivan, should we—" The driver's voice trembled. His back had been drenched in sweat the entire ride, terrified the shovel-wielding madwoman might lunge at any second.

Ethan tossed his ruined jacket into a trash bin. "Head to the office." Then he pulled out his phone and dialed three digits. "Police. There's a suspicious individual at Celestial Waters Estates."

At the gates, security blocked Evelyn's path.

"Get lost, beggar!" The guard wrinkled his nose in disgust, eyeing her shovel.

Evelyn lifted her chin. "They invited me."

"You?" The guard burst into laughter. "Who the hell do you—"

Crack!

A slap sent him spinning three times. Evelyn kicked him aside. "Good dogs don't block the road."

Other guards rushed forward—only to be knocked down by her shovel. Rage simmered in her eyes. After ten years, the Laurents still played these petty games? If they wanted humiliation, she'd tear their precious gates apart.

"Evelyn Laurent!"

Vincent Lowell arrived with his wife and children, his face darkening at the sight of groaning guards.

"You bitch! How dare you—" Brandon Lowell started forward but shrank back under Evelyn's glare.

Her gaze locked onto the girl in white—a face eerily similar to Margaret Hill's, oozing condescension.

"That bastard child is still a bastard!" Margaret screeched. "Today's your wake-up call—Sophia is my real daughter! You—"

Slap!

The blow sent Margaret stumbling. Evelyn yanked her collar and delivered a backhanded strike. "Say it again. I dare you."

Vincent roared, "Evelyn!"

Crack! A third slap landed squarely on his face. "Patience. Your turn's coming."